Game apparatus.



No. 870,041. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907. G. E. I. LUNDBERG.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 28' 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COCO

No. 870,041. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907. C. E. I. LUNDBERG.

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED rm.2a. 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E'. I. LUNDBERG, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of-Letters Patent.

Patent ed Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed February 28. 1907. Serial No. 359.922-

designed to provide an apparatus for playing indoors the popular game ofbase ball and presenting all the phases and excitement incident to theoutdoor game, particularly when the players are skilled in the deliveryand batting of the ball andin the manipulation of the field pieces.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the-followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms andconditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, -in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game apparatus embodying the invention.Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the corner portion of theboard.provided with the bat and home base. Fig. 3 is a detailperspective view of the corner portion of the game board equipped withthe projecting means, whereby delivery ofthe ball to the batsman iseffected. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the bat.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the.

following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings bythe same reference characters. The board 1 may be of any size and isapproximately square and about three feet each way. The infield is.

located at one corner of the board and is inclosed be-. tween the lines2, 3, 4, and 5. The home base is located at one corner of the infieldand is represented by means of a stripe painted, or otherwise providedupon the board. At each of the corners 2, 3 and 4 squares are providedrepresenting the bases, the square 3 being first base, the square 2second base, and 'the square 4, third base. A square 7 is located on theline 24 a short distance from the square of second base 2 for receptionof the runner on second base so that no ob-' The corner of the boardadjacent to thexhome-base is the board when-playing to get the bestresults.

The line 5-4 is similarly projectedto 9 The foul linesare cut away, theguard fitted thereto constituting the back stop.

The bat 12 consists of a strip of suitable length and width and may beof any material. The striking face of the bat is preferably covered withfelt, or some such like material to deaden the blow, or impact of thebat with the ball, and to deaden the sound. The bat is thickened at oneend, at 13, and has a pin 10 in line with the thickened end 13 andprojected from the lower edge of the bat to enter an opening or cut awayportion 30 in the board. This opening 30 is of a size to permit of thepin 10 having a limited play, whereby' the bat may he slid half an inch,more or less, upon Pieces of. leather, felt or like material 31 areattached to the lower edge of the bat to prevent marring the surface ofthe board by movements of the bat thereon.

In manipulating the bat the enlarged portion at one end of the same isgrasped between thethumb and forefinger of the hand and the bat bothshifted laterally and swung about its pivot to strike the ball projectedtoward the same.

The board at the corner diagonally opposite to the bat and home base iscut away and the guard, or inclosing means 10, is set in a shortdistance from the corner portion of the board so as to leave a platform14 exterior thereto to form a support for the hand and to receive theball projecting means.

An opening 15 is provided in the guard 10 to receive the ball 16, thelatter consisting of a sphere, preferably of steel. The ball is adaptedto be projected by suitable means, such as a rubber band 17 which isdrawn outward'and suddenly released. The rubber band or elastic 17 isarranged opposite the opening 15 and exterior to the guard and issupported upon two pins 18 let into the guard and located upon oppositesides of the opening 15, or said rubber band may be supported by othermeans. It is understood that the ball may be deliveredby striking theelastic 17 {the latter serving to modify the force of .such blow to.such an extent as to prevent a too rapid movement of the ball across theboard Circles 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and25 are imprinted, or otherwisesupplied 'to'the surface of the board and represent the space on whichthe fielders, such as the first, second andthird basemeu, theshort stop,the

right, left and center fieldersran be moved. Upon consist of a flangeaccording to the construction of the board. The sole purpose of theguard is to prevent displacement of the ball from the board-either whenstruck by the hat or when rebounding when delivered from the pitchersposition. Said guard is lined with felt or some like substance on theinside, so as to deadcn the sound when the ball hits the guard.

It is to be understood that the batter is provided with a number of gamepieces, usually 4, the same being indicated by the reference numeral 27.

The following is a description of playing the game and the value of therespective pieces.

1. The pitcher sits back of the ball and tries to ,shoot the ball overthe home base. home base 5, it constitutes a strike, but if it goes toone side of the home base 5, it constitutes a ball. I

2. If the ball is hit anywhere outside of the foul line, it constitutesafoul, which also constitutes a strike. If the ball goes no further thanthe infield, it also constitutes a foul for the reason that otherwise,the batter can hold the .bat still, and the ball will generally stop inthe infield. If the ball goes to the guard or stops in the outfieldwithout touching a game piece 26, it constitutes a fair hit, or one basehit.

3. The gamepieces 26 may be moved anywhere inside of their respective.circles by the pitcher; if he succeeds in having a game piece touch theball after it is batted by the batter it constitutes an out, but if thepitcher moves the game piece outside of the circle and touches the ballwith said game piece, or if the ball hits any part of the pitcher "sclothing, or hand, it gives the batter a two base hit. If the balltouches one game piece and bounds off and touches another game piece, itconstitutes a double out, providing there is a man on a base, the mansupposed to be batting and the man on first base or nearest the samebeing out; triple out the same way. The game pieces can be placedanywhere in their respective circles with the exception of the centerfielder, which must be placed to the side so as to allow the pitcher toshoot the ball to home base.

4. The batters game pieces 27 are the same size as game pieces 2 If afair hit is made one of his game pieces is put on first base, it anotherfair hit is made that man is put on second base (this man is put on thesquare marked 7 instead of the real second base 2 so that it will not bein the way of the pitcher when he shoots the ball) and another man isputon the first base.

If the pitcher throws four balls before the batter is out, the man goesto first base as in regular base ball). If the pitcher gets threestrikes on the batter he is out.

If the ball goes over the- There are three outs to an inning, afterwhich the pitcher bats and the batter goes to pitch (shooling the ball)11' the ball is batted through. the opening between the strips 15-itconstitutes a home run; all men on buses coming in.

When a man makes the circuit and touches home base it counts one scorefor the batter.

lt will be seen that this is very much like the regular outdoor baseball game. The pitcher who is skilled in shooting the ball over the baseand is quick to judge where the ball is going and can get his game piecein theway quickly can keep the batters score very low. And the batterwho has a good eye can place the hall where he is more apt to make asafe hit preferably within the circles of first, second, third basemenand short stop but without hitting said men, will make more scores asthe pitcher will have to be exceptionally quick to stop the ball when llgoes near those circles. Consequently, it will be seen that the skilledman will win nearly every time.

Hllving thus described the invention. what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a board, game pieces upon the board, a bat mountedupon the board and having a shift able pivot, and means for delivering aball to the but,

2. The combination of a board, game pieces upon the board, the saidboard having an opening formed therein, a but provided with a pivot pinreceived loosely m ithin the opening to admit of the pivot point of thebat being shifted. and means for delivering.- a bull to the hat.

3. The combination of a board having an opening formed therein, gamepieces upon the board, a bat having one. end thereof enlarged and theenlarged portion being formed with a pin received loosely within theopening in the base, and means for delivering a hall to the hat.

4. The combination of a board, a guard surrounding the board, oneportion of the guard being spuced from an edge of the board to provide arest for the hall and having an opening formed therein, game pieces uponthe board, a hat mounted upon the board, and means outside of the guardfor delivering a ball through the opening of the before mentionedopening therein and adapted to deliver a ball through the opening to thebat.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CARL E. I. LLTXDIFERG. [L.S. I

Witnesses:

C. R. SIMMONS, E. R. ENNIS.

